SHORT-TERM RENTALS: WHO’S THE BULLY?
We are concerned about homes and an individual’s fundamental right to safe, secure housing, plus the rights of those who have complied with legislation and run accredited Small Businesses. Compare this to the unavoidable fact that nowadays the vast majority of those running commercial hotel/serviced apartment operations in residential dwellings are doing so without any regard to building certification requirements including disability access, without contributing by way of commercial rates and taxes, and without controlling said operations ie, not staffing the premises when clients are present.
Airbnb is suing its head off. It seems anywhere and everywhere legislators are attempting to curb the organisation’s commercial expansion, Airbnb is launching a legal challenge. And Airbnb is now actively attempting to dictate the political landscape to suit its goals here in NSW. After all, Airbnb has some US$31 billion to hurl at such efforts.
Consider if you might those who have purchased homes in zones and buildings where short-term rentals are clearly not a permitted use, the Resident Owners who have withstood constant, severe impacts and finally received Land and Environment Court Orders banning such operations in their building. Some of the Court Orders even contain a Penal Notice, which should ensure an end to the unlawful practice. (Links to further Court Orders are available.)
Enter Airbnb. And Brent Thomas and Sam McDonagh fail to acknowledge or respond to correspondence on the ever-increasing number of listings in the building with said Orders and Penal Notice. And pointing out to Messrs Thomas and McDonagh a sham Airbnb listing doesn’t see an end to the Airbnb platform providing a means to potentially obtaining monies fraudulently. The “Portico” in York Street @ $2,500/night, ‘hosted’ by Jeb in New York, is a fake Airbnb listing. It’s an apartment owned by a Councillor at the City of Sydney and some two years on, it is still being advertised by Airbnb.
Airbnb accuses the University of Tasmania and Inside Airbnb of providing ‘fake data’, as per Brent Thomas’ pictured Twitter posts. And of late we’ve received directly or had passed to us examples of what many would describe as attacks by short-term rental trolls: They claimed we “lie”and “bully”. It’s insinuated that we are linked to the Hotel Industry and perhaps the Labor Party. We are not.
Short-term rental operators, just leave Residential Housing to those needing homes and those who have the right to expect to live in a residential community without suffering sever harassment. Your activities see tenants evicted, result in a distortion of the housing market in many areas, provoke real and ongoing impacts on the lives of neighbours plus put the livelihoods of law-abiding Small Business Operators in jeopardy.
Airbnb: Who’s the bully?
Homes not Hotels Communities not Transit Zones People before Profits
Neighbours not Strangers
